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Micheline's Blog

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Tag Archives: Islamic Art

Venice & Islam at the MMA, NY

20 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by michelinewalker in Art, History, Renaissance, The Ottoman Empire, Venice

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alexandria, Art of Venice, Gentile Bellini, Islamic Art, Metropolian Museum of Art, Venetian Art, Venetian Merchants, Venice

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Madonna and Child by Stefano Veneziano

Venice and the Islamic World, 828 – 1797

In 2007, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York exhibited works displaying

“the exchange of art objects and interchange of artistic ideas between the great Italian maritime city and her Islamic neighbors in the eastern Mediterranean.” (MMA)

Venice had been a republic until it was conquered by Napoleon in 1797. It the year 828 CE ,

“two Venetian merchants stole St Mark‘s hallowed body from Muslim-controlled Alexandria and brought it to their native city, and 1797, when the city fell  to the French conqueror Napoleon[.]” (MMA)

We could give our story two starting-points. In the last decades of the 13th century, Venetian Marco Polo (1254 – 8/9 January 1324) travelled the silk road/route and reached China where he met Kublai Khan, the Mongol conqueror who would be Emperor of China. After the conquest of the Byzantine Empire, on 29 May 1453, by the Ottoman Turks, the silk road was longer used. It had deteriorated during the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire. The last merchants to use it may have died of the plague, the Black Death (1436 – 1453). In order to purchase silk, spices, coffee and other precious goods, merchants would henceforth use a sea route. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), sailed to India following the west coast of Africa to the point, the Cape of Good Hope, where the Atlantic connects with the current Indian Ocean. A sea route had been traced.

Our topic, however, is Venice in the days when it traded with a not-too-distant Orient. So our second starting-point is Gentile Bellini‘s 1479 visit to Istanbul, where he made the portrait of Mehmed II, the Conqueror. Mehmed II was an Ottoman Turk and a Muslim. The people of the Byzantine empire had been Christians who spoke koine Greek. We barely remember there was an Anatolia, which, to a large extent, became modern-day Turkey. After Word War I, Constantinople was occupied. The Ottoman Empire had fallen, but Turkey declared its War of Independence (1919 – 1923) and won. The Ottoman Empire had fallen, but Turkey rose. (See Turkish War of Independence, Wikipedia.)

In 1453, Greek scholars fled to Italy (Venice to begin with), carrying books and they inaugurated the Renaissance, but the defeat of the Byzantine Empire was the fall the Holy See of Orthodox Christianity. It had been the eastern Rome. The fall of Constantinople was, therefore, mostly catastrophic. During the first millennium, the Byzantine Empire had been Arabised and during the second millennium, it would be turkified. Both Arabs and Ottoman Turks were Muslims. Mehmed II conquered the Christian Byzantine Empire in Anatolia and went on to conquer several Christian countries now located in Eastern Europe. Repercussions would be felt for centuries to come.

Venice “mirrored” the East, but the East would also “mirror” the West. In fact, the art the Byzantine Empire resembles Islamic art. Venice lacks minarets and an obélisque, but barely so. It is all lace or arabesques, arched windows and entrances, bas-reliefs, decorative tiles and domes. Venice begins in Alexandria, Egypt.

“Venice is also often referred to as ‘the mirror of the East’ because her architecture and urban plan incorporate typical Islamic features and ornamental flourishes.” (MMA)

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St Mark preaching in Alexandria by Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, 1504-7 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Basilica di San Marco, Venice

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Church of the Holy Apostles, Istanbul, Turkey (see Pinterest)

Works Exhibited at the MET

Venetian and Islamic works exhibited at the MMA were “[g]lass, textiles, carpets, arms and armor, ceramics, sculpture, metalwork, furniture, paintings, drawings, prints, printed books, book bindings, and manuscripts[.]” (MMA)

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Reception of the Venetian Ambassadors in Damascus by Gentile Bellini, 1511, Louvre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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A Stallion by Habiballah of Sava, Afghanistan, 1601-6
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1992.51/

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Chilins (Chinese Chimerical Creatures) fighting with a Dragon, Istanbul, 16th century

Chinese Chimerical Creatures fighting with a Dragon (Chilins), Istanbul, 16th century
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/55.121.35/

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A Portuguese, Iran, mid 17th century

A Portuguese, Iran, mid 17th century
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/55.121.23/

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Woman Applying Henna, Iran, 17th century

Woman Applying Henna, Iran, 17th century

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451308?sortBy=Relevance&deptids=14&ft=*&offset=140&rpp=20&pos=156

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The Concourse of Birds by Habiballah of Sava, Iran, c. 1600

The Concourse of Birds by Habiballah of Sava, Iran, c. 1600
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451725

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Woman Carrying a Vase, Iran, 17th century

Woman carrying a Vase, Iran, 17th century
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/450600?sortBy=Relevance&deptids=14&ft=*&offset=40&rpp=20&pos=60

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“The Angel Surush Rescues Khusrau Parviz from a Cul-de-sac”
Bashdan Qara (active c. 1525–35)
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452182

Jean Chardin’s Testimonial

Jean Chardin, a French jeweler who traveled throughout Iran in 1664–70 and again in 1671–77, exclaimed that Isfahan was “the greatest and most beautiful town in the whole Orient.” He described the city’s population as a mix of Christians, Jews, fire-worshippers, Muslims, and merchants from all over the world. He counted 162 mosques, 48 colleges, 802 caravanserais, 273 baths, and 12 cemeteries, indicating ‘Abbas’ extensive architectural work in the city. Among the most scenic quarters was the area behind the Ali Qapu, where a series of gardens extended to the Chahar Bagh, a long boulevard lined with parks, the residences of nobles, and the palaces of the royal family. Tile panels and frescoes from the pavilions of the Chahar Bagh in the Museum’s collection are examples of the lavish decoration of these structures. (MMA)

Comments

Venice and the Islamic world is a very long story. It includes, for instance, the use of a lingua franca, a simplified hybrid language, mostly Italian, that was understood in every port in the Mediterranean Basin.

It also tells the story of the compulsory trip to the Orient young Venetians undertook. I should also stress the notion of exchange. It was not exploitation of the Orient but an exchange. The word “mirror,” used above, is appropriate. For instance, Venetians imitated the glass made in the Orient until Muslims bought Venetian glass for their Mosques. We could even suggest that the love for all things oriental, “turquerie” in our case, preceded 18th-century Europe. Merchants travelling to the Orient brought back souvenirs.

Works displayed in the exhibition depict a mostly joyful and somewhat diverse Orient as do the texts written for visitors to the exhibition. Each text leads to another text. The Orient, Syria for instance, was home to local and old Christian communities: Assyrians, Armenians, and Egypt, home to Coptic Egyptians, etc.

I discovered a Bellini album. It seems Gentile Bellini was the first Orientalist, but of a different breed than 19th-century Orientalists (see Orientalism, Wikipedia). Yet, the conquest of Constantinople was a catastrophe. It divided the population of the various countries of Eastern Europe between Christians and Muslims, and this fragmentation was reflected in the wars that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

I am omitting the works of European artists: Gentile Bellini and his pupils, three of whom are Giovanni di Niccolò Mansueti, Vittore Carpaccio (15th century Venice) and Giorgione (1476 – 1510). They were influenced by the Orient. So was Albrecht Dürer (21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528), who lived shortly after the fall of Constantinople.

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An Oriental Family by Albrecht Dürer, engraving

Music, the Printing Press and the Vernacular

Venice was also a turning-point in music. The Franco-Flemish lands had been the cultural hub of Europe as polyphony developed, including the madrigal, a song in the mother tongue. The Netherlandish composer Adrian Willaert (c. 1490 – 7 December 1562), of the Franco-Flemish school taught music in Venice and was the kapellmeister of the Basilica di San Marco. He founded the Venetian School, music. Polyphony is a product of the West.

In fact, the Renaissance is the birthplace of a nationhood and nationalism based on the use of a common language. Johannes Gutenberg (c. 1398 – February 3, 1468) invented the movable type printing press (c. 1440) to the delight of Venetians. It all started in Venice. As of the Renaissance, the invention of the printing press allowed the development of literature written in the vernacular, the mother tongue. Greek scholars could have the works of antiquity copied rapidly, but so did authors who wrote in the vernacular, a national language. Associated with the validation of the vernacular are Venetian Cardinal Pietro Bembo (The Petrarchan Movement), Sperone Speroni (Dialogo delle lingue, a defense of vernacular languages instead of Latin, Joachim du Bellay (Défense et illustration de la langue française) and Geoffrey Chaucer.

The relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the West deteriorated, but for a very long time, as the port central to the economy of countries bordering the Mediterranean, Venice was rich and it never fell to the Ottoman Empire.

“Despite all of the wars, Venice remained a privileged partner, thanks to an almost perfect balance between religious spirit, chameleon-like diplomacy, and acute business sense.”  (MMA)

The above quotation will be our conclusion.

Navigation

The link Venice and the Islamic World, 828 – 1797 takes one to the Bellini carpets. One then scrolls down to Venice and the Islamic World, 828 – 1797. One clicks on the link. To view each century click on Art, then Collection, and search Islamic Art or Venice and Islamic Art. We are exploring West Asia, various centuries, and the MMA refers to Constantinople as Istanbul, its name since 1928.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cedr/hd_cedr.htm# (trade)

Love to everyone. ♥

RELATED ARTICLES

Language

  • Pietro Bembo by Titian, and the Vernacular (27 January 2016)
  • La Pléiade: Joachim du Bellay (30 December 2011)
  • The Petrarchan Movement (6 December 2011)

Orientalism

  • An Older Orient (18 September 2016)
  • Orientalism Good & Bad (14 September 2016)
  • Orientalism Good or Bad (7 September 2016)

Venice

  • Veneţia (Ştefania)

Sources and Resources

  • Venice and the Islamic World, 828 – 1797
  • Wikipedia (most entries)
  • Britannica

—ooo—

“Calligraphic Composition in Shape of Peacock,” Folio from the Bellini Album
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451978?sortBy=Relevance&ft=Islamic+Art&offset=1280&rpp=20&pos=1297

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© Micheline Walker
20 October 2016
WordPress

map_of_venice_15th_century

The True Moor of Venice (a lecture)
Michael Barry: “The Three Philosophers ”
MMA

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The Three Philosophers by Giorgione, finished by Titian the MMA)

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Islamic Art

12 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by michelinewalker in Art, Illustrations, Middle East

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Drawing, Islamic Art, Middle East, Paintings, Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam, Sohrab and Gordafarid

DT4800 (1).jpgPrince Riding an Elephant, painting by Khem Karan, 16th–17th century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

This is such a cheerful painting. It’s a watercolour, but an opaque watercolour. After stretching his wet paper, the artist allowed it to dry before applying colours.

“Prince Riding an Elephant” is simply delightful.

Today, I am posting images depicting a playful Islam. Some of these images you have already seen. They are simply favourite images.

Princely Couple, Iran (1400-1405)
The Lovers, painting by Riza-yi `Abbasi (ca. 1565–1635)
The Stallion, painting by Habibalah of Save (active ca. 1590-1610)
Portrait of a Dervish, 16th century
Portrait of Muhammad Khan Shaibani, the Uzbek (d.1510)
Black Stork in a Landscape, 1780
Portrait of a Lady Holding a Flower, painting by Muhammadi of Herat (active Qazvin, c. 1570-1578; Herat, c. 1578-87)

(Please click on the titles above to obtain further information.)
Princely Couple
Princely Couple
The Lovers
The Lovers

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Portrait of a Dervish
Portrait of a Dervish
Muhammad Khan Shaibani
Muhammad Khan Shaibani

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Dance performance by Shahrokh Moshkin-Ghalam, dancer, choreographer, actor in La Comédie-Française.
Sohrab and Gordafarid

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© Micheline Walker
12 February 2016
WordPress

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On Freedom of Speech: from Pope Francis to Raif Badawi

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by michelinewalker in Extremism, The Middle East

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Appeals, Islamic Art, King Abdullah, Limits to Freedom of Speech, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Political Philosophy, Pope Francis, Raif Badawi

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Page of Calligraphy with Stenciled and Painted Borders from a Subhat al-Abrar (Rosary of the Devout) of Jami Author: Maulana Nur al-Din `Abd al-Rahman Jami (1414–92) Calligrapher: Sultan `Ali Mashhadi (ca.1440–1520) (Photo credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY)

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Pope Francis in Manila (The Independent, UK)

To read Pope Francis’ Statement, go to “There are limits,” says Pope Francis (19 January 2015)

According to journalist Stefano Hatfield, Pope Francis expressed “his” views on the Paris attacks.

“In case you missed it, Francis was giving his views on the Charlie Hebdo affair. He said he supported free speech, BUT… and, as you can tell, it was a big “but”. The Pope illustrated what he meant through an apparently light-hearted reference to what would happen if his advisor insulted the Papal mother.”
(The Independent, UK)

It would be my opinion that, freedom of speech is a major issue, a global issue, and that it therefore warrants a comment from one of the world’s major leaders. Why should Pope Francis not give his views on freedom of speech?

At least 18 Nobel Laureates are asking for a resolution to Raif Badawi’s sorry condition. I look upon them as “superior” minds possessing the credibility and authority that have earned them a Nobel Prize. Such people should speak out when people are murdered, or when a blogger is about to be tortured to death because he advocated more tolerance towards liberals in his country, and did so peacefully.

A more lenient reading

May I propose, moreover, a more lenient reading of Pope Francis’ comment. Pope Francis did not condemn freedom of speech itself, but he advocated prudence and recommended that humans use freedom of speech for “the good of all.”

“Whoa! The Pope advocating not turning the other cheek? This really is new territory for the man who has been an admirable champion of the poor and scourge of corruption in his own Church during his brief time as boss.”

May I also propose that Pope Francis did not advocate retaliation. Turning the other cheek, remains the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, yet, it is “normal” to defend one’s mother if she is cursed.

An Anecdote

As a nine-year old, I kicked a big fellow who was attacking a small fellow who wore eyeglasses. The small fellow could not defend himself. He would have broken his glasses and his mother would have punished him. When I kicked him, the big fellow loosened his grip and I told the small fellow to run away as quickly as possible. This was not vengeance, this was indignation. A small fellow was being attacked by a bully and could not defend himself, so I became the little fellow: “Je suis toi.” (I’m you.).

Similarly, the Pope would be indignant if someone cursed his mother, which would not be vengeance. The punch would be an instinctive: “Don’t you dare insult my mother.” In fact, he may not have meant an actual punch, but words. Vengeance implies a degree of premeditation.

“Mr Cameron challenged the Pope, who said, in the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo, that people ‘cannot insult the faith of others’. The Prime Minister said: ‘I’m a Christian; if someone says something offensive about Jesus, I might find that offensive, but I don’t have a right to wreak my vengeance upon them.’”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2914996/David-Cameron-returns-claiming-Brobama-new-Reagan-Thatcher.html#ixzz3PT6SbLA4

Under Wikipedia’s entry on freedom of speech, I see restrictions: to libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, sedition, hate speech, etc. It is a long list. Violation of these restrictions may threaten the rule of law, an ideology dating back to Greco-Roman antiquity.

The people who killed in Paris were haters who did not comply with the afore-mentioned rule of law and may have been taught hatred. I heard one of the Kouachi brothers say they had not killed, others had killed: the French, for instance. (See Kouachi brothers’ radicalization).

Liberalism

If one reads Michel de Montaigne, Blaise Pascal (19 June 1623 – 19 August 1662; 39), Montesquieu (18 January 1689 – 10 February 1755), and other thinkers, one will find a plea for moderation in everything. Moreover, if one looks at liberalism (see Liberalism, Wikipedia), its proponents have rejected “hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy, and the Divine Right of Kings.” (See The Social Contract: Hobbes, Locke & Rousseau)

Proponents of liberalism have also opposed “traditional conservatism and sought to replace absolutism in government with representative democracy and the rule of law”.

Vengeance

“Pope Francis is clearly a different breed of religious leader. But this week he blew it.”

I do not think Pope Francis “blew it.” I agree with British Prime Minister Jim Cameron. One does not wreak vengeance:

“I’m a Christian; if someone says something offensive about Jesus, I might find that offensive, but I don’t have a right to wreak my vengeance upon them.”

I would also say:

“I’m a Christian; if someone says something offensive about Jesus, I might find that offensive, but I don’t have a right to wreak my vengeance upon them.”

Furthermore, I might say:

“I am a Muslim; if someone…”

However, Pope Francis did not advocate vengeance. He advocated prudence. It could be that, at the age of 9, he might have kicked a bully who was attacking a little fellow protecting his eyeglasses, but vengeance, in 2015.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

At the moment, however, vengeance is about to be wreaked once again on Raif Badawi. He is scheduled to be flogged on Friday 23 February, which does not make sense.

Given that Mr Badawi’s case has been referred to the Supreme Court, it would seem one should not torture him until the Supreme Court has made its determinations. Judges require time to examine the facts and, until they do, it would seem appropriate to consider Mr Badawi’s earlier sentence null and void. I trust members of the Supreme Court will protest.

Conclusion

Ninety-year-old (90) King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, is an absolute monarch, but above him there are international bodies, two of which are the United Nations and International Law. More importantly, king Abdullah has a conscience.

I still think that once they are apprised of the facts, king Abdullah and Saudi Arabia officials will not allow further torture and incarceration of Raif Badawi. I do not have the right to presume they will not be just and compassionate.

  • There is no absolute freedom of speech;
  • no one can be inhumane in the name of morality; and
  • there are cases when provocation can lead to a bloodbath.

In short, there are limits!

With my kindest regards to all of you.

RELATED ARTICLES

  • “There are limits,” says Pope Francis (19 January 2015)
  • Raif Badawi: Flogging Postponed (16 January 2015)
  • “Je suis Raif:” an Appeal to King Abdullah (14 January 2015)
  • Paris Besiedged: an “Assault on Reason” (12 January 2015)
  • The Social Contract: Hobbes, Locke & Rousseau (13 October 2012)
  • Taxes: the “freedom we surrender” (15 October 2012)
  • posts dated October 2012

Sources and Resources

  • http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Absolute_monarchy.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu’ran
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Calligraphic Galleon, calligrapher: ‘Abd al-Qadir Hisari (Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY)

Beethoven, Symphony no 7, 2nd movement
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Raif Badawi
Raif Badawi (Amnesty International)

© Micheline Walker
21 January 2015
(revised)
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“There are limits,” says Pope Francis

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by michelinewalker in Extremism, The Middle East

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

freedom of expression, Islamic Art, King Abdullah, Phillippines, Pope Francis, Raif Badwani, Saudi Arabia, the Common Good

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The Old man and the Youth, painting by Reza-ye Abbasi (ca. 1565 – 1635) (Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY)

“There are limits…”

Pope Francis was in the Philippines recently and commented on the concept of freedom of expression. He said:

“‘There is a limit. Every religion has its dignity … in freedom of expression there are limits.’

He gestured to Alberto Gasparri, who organises papal trips and was standing by his side, and added: ‘If my good friend Dr Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch. It’s normal. It’s normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others.’

Cautioning against provocation he said the right to liberty of expression came with the obligation to speak for ‘the common good’.”

Pope Francis

Pope Francis (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/15/pope-francis-limits-to-freedom-of-expression

Raif Badawi and “The Common Good”

Yes, there are limits to freedom of expression, but Raif Badawi respected these limits in that he spoke for “the common good” and did so “peacefully.” He is in fact an excellent example of what seems too repressive a judiciary in Saudi Arabia. According to Amnesty International, he is “detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression,” which makes him a prisoner of conscience.

Raif Badawi: a “Gratuitous, violent sentence”

Mr Badawi was originally sentenced to a seven-year term in prison and 600 lashes: flagellation. Upon appeal, he was condemned to a ten-year term in prison, a fine of approximately $266,000, and to nearly double the number of lashes: 1,000. Both the original and second sentences puzzle me.

If an appeal for clemency leads to a harsher sentence, one may have reason to believe that the harsher sentence is a “gratuitous, violent sentence,” as described by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) (See Raif Badawi, Wikipedia.) Furthermore, one is also led to suspect that the initial sentence was a “gratuitous, violent sentence.” I fail to see how Mr Badawi insulted Islam and, in this regard, the discrepancy between his two sentences may point to a wrongful conviction, not to mention vindictiveness.

Moreover, if flogging Mr Badawi on Friday 16 September could have imperiled his life, it would be my opinion that the remaining 950 lashes would have killed him. Torture is a violation of human rights, but in Mr Badawi’s case, it would appear that flagellation conceals a death sentence: death by flagellation, which is, in the extreme, a “gratuitous, violent sentence.” As I wrote in an earlier post, Raif Badawi was not sentenced to death. If torture leads to Mr Badawi’s death, justice will not have been served.

Raif Badawi

Raif Badawi (Courtesy Amnesty International)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30856403

Mr  Badwani’s Case referred to the Supreme Court

However, given that Mr Badawi’s case has been referred to the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia, I should think that both his earlier sentences no longer have any validity and that the Supreme Court has a clean slate, i.e. the Cartesian, René Descartes‘  tabula rasa. (See Le Discours de la méthode, deuxième partie, the Discourse on the Method, second part.[1] The text can be read online in both the original French and in translation. See Sources and Resources.  

Conclusion

Pope Francis stated that “the right to liberty of expression came with the obligation to speak for ‘the common good’.”  All Mr Badawi advocated is more tolerance and leniency towards liberals in Saudi Arabia, which was a legitimate request. Remember La Fontaine‘s “The Oak and the Reed.” The sturdy and mighty oak is felled by a powerful storm, but the reed bends, and it does not break: “Je plie, et ne romps pas.”

I am confident that once the Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia has reviewed Mr Badwani’s case, king Abdullah and Saudi officials will free him. King Abdullah’s status in the United Nations allows me to think that having been apprised of the facts, he will be “reasonable” and release Raif Badawi. I cannot presume otherwise.

It may be unrealistic, but I hope countries everywhere will soon live in harmony: no terrorists, no strikes, no warmongers…

There are limits!

RELATED ARTICLES

  • Raif Badawi: Flogging Postponed (16 January 2015)
  • “Je suis Raif:” an Appeal to King Abdullah (14 January 2015)
  • Paris Besieged: an “Assault on Reason” (12 January 2015)
  • “Le Chêne et le Roseau” (The Oak and the Reed): the Moral (28 September 2013)

Sources and Resources

The Discourse on Method, Internet Archive, Chapter 2, p. 15 (EN)
Le Discours de la méthode is a Gutenberg publication [EBook #13846] (FR)
The Discourse on Method is a Gutenberg publication [EBook #59] (EN)
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ailing-king-abdullah-raises-questions-about-saudi-arabias-future-n287601

_________________________

[1] René Descartes, textes présentés par André Bridoux, Œuvres et Lettres (Gallimard, Bibliothèque de La Pléiade, 1953), p. 137.
tabula rasa means a table that has been cleared up

DP231354

Painting by Reza-ye Abbasi (MMA, NY)

© Micheline Walker
19 January 2015
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Gun Registration in Canada: a Crucial Issue

26 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by michelinewalker in Canada, Gun Control, The Middle East

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Canada's Politic Leaders, Canada's Political Parties, Canada's Role in Coalition, Gun Control, Islamic Art, Maher Zain

 
islam-art3-9
Horse and Groom by Haydar Ali, early 16th century (Photo credit: mesosyn.com)

I converted a few pale lines in the post I published on 24 October 2014, into bold letters. I wanted to re-examine the logic of the text. I was able to see that the key to determining the cause of this week’s events in Ottawa was the source of the weapon. Once the police had determined the provenance of the weapon, they would have been able to establish, with complete certainty, whether or not the killer acted on behalf of Isil and to what extent Isis had penetrated Canada. It appears Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau acted alone.

Gun Control in Canada

Canada still has strict gun-control legislation, but under Prime Minister Steven Harper, the leader of the Conservative Party, changes were made to gun-control legislation. Canadians do not carry firearms, but persons who wish to do so no longer need to register their firearms. Martin Rouleau-Couture did not kill by gun, but Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau did.

Martin Rouleau-Couture

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/martin-couture-rouleau-hit-and-run-driver-arrested-by-rcmp-in-july-1.2807078

Therefore, if gun control was not a crucial issue in the forthcoming political campaign, it is now on the agenda. Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau killed by gun and, ironically, members of the Conservative Party, the Party that introduced less stringent gun-control legislation, were targeted. They barricaded the doors of the room in which they were working as gun shots could be heard. It seems they did not have a key or that they knew a key would not suffice.

I realize that this week’s events cannot be linked entirely to weapons. Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau wanted his passport. However, if the acquisition of firearms is untraceable and this matter impedes a thorough investigation, gun control may be a factor in the next political campaign. It has been ascertained that Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau wanted to fly to Syria and nothing suggests that he acted on behalf of Isis, yet knowing how and where he acquired his weapon would be useful.

At any rate, Tom Mulcair, the leader of the New Democratic Party, and Justin Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party, may have gained better chances of being elected into office. The fourth party, the Bloc québécois, lost its seats in the House of Commons in the Federal Election of 2011. However, Quebec has already opposed Ottawa’s decision.

http://www.vox.com/2014/10/24/7047547/canada-gun-law-us-comparison 

Canada’s Role in the Coalition

The role the United States has given itself as leader of the coalition fighting Isis will not be discussed. I am not in possession of all the facts concerning this issue. I believe, however, that although its contribution is minimal: “six CF18 fighter jets, two surveillance aircrafts, a refuelling plane and 600 personnel – but no ground troops[,]” for six months (The Montreal Gazette), it may be in Canada’s best interest to revisit its decision to provide anything more than humanitarian aid to the above-mentioned coalition. We put ourselves at risk and we may have paid the price. Moreover, the crisis in the Middle East may last for decades, or longer.

This has to be a very short post. A guest will be visiting, so I must make sure the apartment looks tidy.

The link below was inserted in my last post. I believe this post concludes the discussion on the killings that occurred this past week in our humble Canada.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Radio-Canada)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/should-the-west-stop-intervening-in-the-middle-east-1.2811177
 
???????????

(Photo credit: ShiaGraph)

Canada’s Political Parties

 
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_of_Canada (in power)
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Democratic_Party (the official opposition)
  • http://www.liberal.ca/(part of the opposition)
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloc_Qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois (no seats)

—ooo—

Maher Zain sings “For the Rest of my Life”

Islamic Art

(Photo credit: Islamic Art)

© Micheline Walker
26 October 2014
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